A report of news and commentary of the sport of ice hockey in the southwest U.S.A.

Monday, April 5, 2010

USHL Divisional Semifinals Schedule & Preview

The United States Hockey League playoffs get underway on Wednesday night as all 4 series' will get underway as the East Division 1st Round Series' were set up back on March 31. One of the great things about the United States Hockey League is that this league gets it right when it comes down on how many teams make the playoffs. Unlike the Canadian Jr. A, Major Junior or the NAHL which basically allows nearly all the teams make it in.

This makes the 1st Round more exciting and more unpredictable more often and you see what happens. Last year we saw both of the #3 seeds in the Indiana Ice & Fargo Force make it to the Championship. With the talent gaps being a lot bigger then last year, I don't expect any thing like that to happen this year, but expect some great series' from a 1st round rematch as the Indiana Ice and Cedar Rapids Roughriders as both teams will be facing off for the 2nd straight year.

Also the Tri-City Storm will be looking to use their momentum who won the last 3 against the Lincoln Stars, Des Moines Buccaneers and Sioux Falls Stampede to hold off a hard charging Sioux City Musketeers team in the final weekend of the season. Even though the Storm are the #4 Seed, the Storm do have the league's scoring champion in Jaden Schwartz who had 83 points (33G 50A) during the regular season.

Fargo may have some problems looking to get back to the Clark Cup Championship as the Force are ending the regular season as the Force have lost 4 in a row and some reports of some internal fighting within the team may be distracting them. Sioux Falls may have a great shot as the Stampede are going into the playoffs by getting points in 6 of their final 7 (5-1-1). The Stampede almost took over the Force in the last couple of days of the season to take over home ice in the opening round of the playoffs. Expect this series to be the best of 4 Divisional Semifinal Series'.

Here's a look at the 1st Round Series' which all begin on Wednesday Night.